We’ve had dress code defiers, pregnancy announcements and political statements, and it’s only Wednesday.
The most prestigious cinema festival in the world, the Cannes Film Festival, is currently taking place, with hundreds of celebrities flocking to the French Riviera to premiere some of the most highly anticipated movies of the year.
Across its 79-year history, the festival has served as a launchpad for notable and remarkable cinema. The Palme d’Or, awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film at the end of the festival, remains one of the highest accolades in film.
Alongside this, films that receive standing ovations are generally considered exemplary, with Guillermo del Toro’s 2006 Pan’s Labyrinth famously receiving 22 minutes of applause.
Cristian Mungiu’s Fjord, starring Sebastian Stan, has received the longest standing ovation so far this year, at a staggering 12 minutes.
With a strict dress code, the red carpet often spawns noteworthy celebrity moments that push the bounds of what is deemed ‘appropriate’, including several sheer outfits and ‘inappropriate’ footwear, both of which Kristen Stewart challenged this year.
Walking the carpet in a threadbare Chanel dress and vintage KOZAK 72 sneakers, then posing for the photocall in a sheer Chanel haute couture set and, once again, a pair of vintage Nike sneakers, Stewart ironically sidestepped the rules with class–we love to see a little rebellion in such a formal setting.
Another notable moment on the carpet came from model Barbara Palvin-Sprouse, as she revealed her pregnancy to the world in a beautiful light blue gown.
She posed with a hand under her belly, accentuating her baby bump. Standing next to husband Dylan Sprouse, the pair shared the news in the most Hollywood way possible – iconic.
Perhaps the most significant moment came from Australian actress Cate Blanchett, as she claimed that the #MeToo movement “got killed very quickly” in Hollywood after its rise in 2017.
The movement sparked global noise a decade after its inception when Alyssa Milano used the phrase in reference to Harvey Weinstein, which spurred nearly 100 women to reveal their experiences with the film producer.
The conversation around gender equality exploded, pushing forward the fourth wave of feminism.
Cate Blanchett’s statement on the movement comes alongside the news of a mistrial in a third Weinstein rape case a few days ago.
Blanchett expressed that #MeToo revealed “a systemic layer of abuse, not only in this industry but in all industries.”
She notes her experience working in film, “I’m still on film sets and I do the headcount every day. There’s 10 women and there’s 75 men every morning,”
At such a renowned event with a high level of scrutiny and coverage, Blanchett’s statement shows courage and poise in today’s political climate.
Who’s to say what the rest of the Cannes festival will bring, but from what we’ve seen so far, it’s definitely one to keep an eye on.
